Minecraft to Join Microsoft

[edit: I tried to post this to the Alternative news forum, but alas the [post] button is missing.]

news.xbox.com / Minecraft to Join Microsoft



Minecraft is one of the most popular video games of all time, with more than 100 million downloads, on PC alone, from players since its launch in 2009.



At Microsoft, we believe in the power of content to unite people. Minecraft adds diversity to our game portfolio and helps us reach new gamers across multiple platforms. Gaming is the top activity across devices and we see great potential to continue to grow the Minecraft community and nurture the franchise. That is why we plan to continue to make Minecraft available across platforms – including iOS, Android and PlayStation, in addition to Xbox and PC.

Yeah; news, money, looks like Swedish programmer Markus "Notch" Persson isn't going to send Carmack & Occulus that source so they can adapt it for 3D Faceborebook. Nope. Instead "Notch" gets away with his grand larceny scott-free, by selling the property to the company he stole it from in the first place.

Mike no mistake. This constitutes a new paradigm in both the operating system (we'll come back to that) and the development of IP.

Markus "Notch" Persson had worked for the title "CastleMiner" which was to be released on the Xbox One. When he left the company he went and wrote his own, added survival mode, and beat "CastleMiner" to market. I guess the no-compete clause was broken, or they couldn't reach him in Switzerland. Either way, Microsoft careth-not and as is traditional with them they like to buy success.

So here it comes people. MicroCraft: where your developers learn on your dime then beat you to market with a hipper version of your own IP leaving you to never recoup the development cost. MineSoft: where what starts out as a simple modable game played over Java will morph into the operating system interface of the future.

For once in the history of Computing, John Carmack can play catch up. That might be refreshing for him.

Mike Grouchy

I never got Minecraft. The graphics looks really bad, and if I want to build something with blocks, I'll stick to my Legos.

Only one good thing about Minecraft.. TNT.

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
I never got Minecraft. The graphics looks really bad, and if I want to build something with blocks, I'll stick to my Legos.

Call me an age-ist, but that just means you are old. My parents didn't get computer games "at all", but those same games took over the world. The gaming industry makes an order of magnitude more money than all of Hollywood. And it has done so since about 2004.


This is a 2.5 billion (yes billiion with a B) dollar acquisition.


Mike Grouchy

originally posted by: DarknStormy
Only one good thing about Minecraft.. TNT.

I remember when the userbase invented the TNT cannon and they were launching cows into orbit.

Mike Grouchy

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
I never got Minecraft. The graphics looks really bad, and if I want to build something with blocks, I'll stick to my Legos.

How old are you?

i'm 47 (about to hit 48) and I "get" Minecraft, hehehehehe.

I've played with it on and off, it's cute and sort of fun for me, but once I got a hold of Kerbal Space Program, I dropped Minecraft.

My youngest son, on the other hand, he's been playing it for years and still does.

ETA:

His favorite Minecraft Video:

originally posted by: mikegrouchy



I remember when the userbase invented the TNT cannon and they were launching cows into orbit.

Mike Grouchy

Classic..

Some of your history seemed a bit wonky. I don't think Notch worked on "Castle Miner", Minecraft before Mojang was open source, and had nothing to do with Microsoft. Castle Miner was made by Digital DNA Games, an -indie- company. Castle Miner was put on Xbox live arcade in 2011, and Minecraft for PC in 2009, beating it to the punch by a good amount. Copycats popped up trying to take some of the users away from Minecraft, like on platforms where you couldn't get Minecraft. Like the Xbox early on.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

You have to gather the materials and craft them. Making huge underground mines is half the fun imo!

I'm only a casual player though.

a reply to: eriktheawful

My two daughters love it and I had been hearing about it for a while and thought I'd download it to my Xbox to see what the hype was all about.. Well, I still haven't worked out whats so good about it but I always seem to go back and play for some reason plus because I don't live with my daughters it's fun when the pair of them jump on board also..

originally posted by: DarknStormy
a reply to: eriktheawful

My two daughters love it and I had been hearing about it for a while and thought I'd download it to my Xbox to see what the hype was all about.. Well, I still haven't worked out whats so good about it but I always seem to go back and play for some reason plus because I don't live with my daughters it's fun when the pair of them jump on board also..

All my Cub Scouts?

This is SERIOUS business with them! They have debates over how to play Minecraft, what to do , what to craft, etc, that are just as serious as the debates on here at ATS over politics!

a reply to: eriktheawful

HAHA, yeah my daughters are the same.. Always online with their friends from school and at one stage my eldest was exactly how you explained the cub scouts.. It actually got annoying.. Now she thinks I'm the pro because I just glitch all my diamond blocks etc haha

a reply to: eriktheawful

I'm 31. I spent my weekend building Legos...

I like having something physical I can touch and manipulate with my hands...

a reply to: KingIcarus

Ain't nobody got time for that!!

Just driving to Toys R Us or waiting for an order from Amazon with my Legos is a pain!

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
a reply to: KingIcarus

Ain't nobody got time for that!!

Just driving to Toys R Us or waiting for an order from Amazon with my Legos is a pain!

Do you find it relaxing to just build stuff with lego, just a hobby?

originally posted by: Turq1
Some of your history seemed a bit wonky. I don't think Notch worked on "Castle Miner", Minecraft before Mojang was open source, and had nothing to do with Microsoft. Castle Miner was made by Digital DNA Games, an -indie- company. Castle Miner was put on Xbox live arcade in 2011, and Minecraft for PC in 2009, beating it to the punch by a good amount. Copycats popped up trying to take some of the users away from Minecraft, like on platforms where you couldn't get Minecraft. Like the Xbox early on.

Yes, that is what everyone believes, just like nobody believes that Led Zepplin stole their sound from Beck.


Mike Grouchy

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
a reply to: eriktheawful

I'm 31. I spent my weekend building Legos...

I like having something physical I can touch and manipulate with my hands...

I used to do that too (and did when my kids were smaller and got Legos).

The reason kids like Minecraft so much is: it's like having UNLIMITED amount of Legos.

That's how the Kerbal Space Program is for me: I get to build really cool rockets and launch them!

originally posted by: MystikMushroom
a reply to: KingIcarus

Ain't nobody got time for that!!

Just driving to Toys R Us or waiting for an order from Amazon with my Legos is a pain!

Here is episode 1 of one of my favorite series. After making about 20 tutorial videos in the early days of minecraft, and just after uploading the "how to set up a server" one, this dad started recording himself playing with his kids.



There are many imitations of "Minecraft Dad" these days, but this is the original.


Mike Grouchy

a reply to: DarknStormy

Yep. Lego keeps me occupied and is relaxing. I also like the sense of accomplishment after spending many hours and thousands of pieces later.

I'd like to get into making stop motion movies with my Lego sets, I have quite a collection of Star Wars and LOTR ones now. The Tower of Orthanc was about 2,400 pieces and took me a good two afternoons to put together.

originally posted by: mikegrouchy
This is a 2.5 billion (yes billiion with a B) dollar acquisition.

Ugh, that makes me feel ill. I can't believe the money that's being tossed around for some code. It's just crazy.

I love Minecraft, I primarily build (and only build), and the news of Microshi....I mean, Microsoft buying it might send me packing.